Report on June/2013:

Whilst on holiday in Scotland I gave the river clyde a go. I was very happy with the results.

The fish were being fussy. It was late on, just before sunset around half nine. I had not caught anything yet. I kept on changing flies until I came accross a personal favourite of mine, "The greenwells nymph". The fly was a different shade to the others I had used before (a lot darker olive). I tied it on and gave it a shot.

I started to cast more frequently over what I had thought to be a decent sized fish maybe around 2lb ( a great size for the clyde). After the second or third cast over it, the fish tugs very powerfully on the fly but lets go, as if to tease me and say not tonight sunshine. At this point with the fish being unusually fussy for the area, I start to get a little frustrated. I cast more and more frequently over the fish, only giving it around a couple of seconds or so to take as the fly passes downstream. After around five or six casts over the fish I have a feeling I may hook it, but still it takes my surprise and rips the line almost out of my hand. Pulling the rod forward a bit as I am caught off guard. The fish swims powerfully upstream and is unrelenting. I have never felt this power from a fish in the river clyde, what have I hooked I ask myself? I keep the line as tight as I can whilst letting it run when it needs to (which seemed to be a whole lot as the fish was almost 50 yards away) I struggled to keep my arm from aching as it almost reaches ten minutes that I have been tussling with whatever this fish may be. After the fish has been brought close to me it runs again around 40-50 yards. After around 12-14 minutes I finally get the fish closer than ever. I see waves of water being parted either side of the fish, as I am dragging the fish over at this point hoping to see the fish more clearly. I unclip my net from my back and extend it out pushing it into the water. The power and weight of the fish just managing to be out of my reach. I reel in a little more but I stretch and I still cannot reach. The fish takes one last desperate effort to run and it manages a few feet and powerfully and continually keeps shaking its head. I finally think to myself "I have to reel in a lot more than usual as this fish is strong in this current, otherwise I am gonna lose it". As I stretch out this time I feel I can get more purchase by putting the rod behind my neck. I pull back as hard as I feel I can with the fish not being broken off. My heart is pounding and I await to see if I can finally net this beast. I finally get the fish over the net but the net I brought with me is almost too small for it, I stretch out as much as I can and it finally slides into the net.

Needless to say I was happy when it turned out to be a 4lb 7oz Brown trout. The 2nd biggest I have caught in the Clyde. The first was a 5lb 2oz, caught on a Blae black and silver around 4 years ago.